SANTA CRUZ

Fourth of July weekend busiest travel holiday

AAA Northern California is forecasting 4.6 million Californians will travel 50 miles or more for the Fourth of July, up 1.5 percent from a year ago.

"With the Fourth of July weekend being the busiest summer travel holiday, we can expect increased airport congestion, highway backups and higher travel expenditures," said Pablo O'Brien of AAA Northern California, citing consumer confidence and steady economic improvement as reasons for more travel.

This year, people have a three-day weekend for the holiday, but according to AAA, 3.7 million Californians will choose a road trip, an increase of 2 percent, while air travel and use of rail, bus and watercraft are expected to decline slightly.

Santa Cruz

Legislature eases local tax votes

The state Legislature has passed bill allowing counties to set up tax votes that apply only to residents in unincorporated areas.

Authored by Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, the bill addresses a quirk in law where all residents of a county, whether they live in cities or unincorporated areas, get to vote on sales, parcel and other taxes destined for purposes in unincorporated neighborhoods. Tax votes in cities are restricted to residents of those cities.

Stone's bill, AB 2119, applies to infrastructure votes such as funding for roads and sewers. Gov. Jerry Brown must sign it before it becomes law.

Santa Cruz

Marconi Civic Club holds annual barbecue

The Marconi Civic Club will host its annual barbecue noon to 2:30 p.m. July 13 at the Harvey West Park barbecue area No. 1.

The menu includes a New York steak or one-half chicken with beans, tossed green salad, garlic bread and watermelon. Coffee, beer, wine and soft drinks will be served. Organizers ask attendees to bring their own utensils. Cost for the meal is $18 for the steak dinner, $16 for the one-half chicken dinner and $5 for a child's chicken dinner or a hot dog.

Proceeds will benefit Cabrillo College scholarship fund and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz and the Valleys.

For information, call 831-426-6463.

Santa Cruz

Schools offer summer meals program

Through a federal funding program, Santa Cruz City Schools will offer weekday meals to any child 18 and younger at no cost through July 11 and from Aug. 4-21.

The Seamless Summer Food Program will be available from 10:15-11 a.m. through July 11 at Branciforte Middle School, 315 Poplar Ave., and from 8-8:30 a.m. and 11-11:45 a.m. at Harbor High, 300 La Fonda Ave., Meals will be available from 8-8:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m. Aug. 4-21 at Bay View Elementary, 1231 Bay St., and Gault Elementary, 1320 Seabright Ave.

For details, contact the district's administrative office at 831-429-3410 or the food services division at 831-429-3850. For information, call 831-724-2997, ext. 202.